ani 兄

In Japanese, ani 兄 means "older brother.". It's somewhat synonymous with oniisan お兄さん, but differs in usage. (see ani vs. oniisan).

The "older sister" counterpart would be ane 姉, while otouto 弟 is "younger brother."

• Kanji
• Derived Words

Kanji

The kanji of ani is 兄.

Given that ani is written with a very basic kanji, it's unlikely to be written without kanji, but here's how you'd write it with kana anyway just in case:

• ani あに (hiragana)
• ani アニ (katakana)

Derived Words

A number of Japanese words derive from ani 兄 and also mean older brother.

The word aniue 兄上 is an older respectful term which isn't used much nowadays. In anime, characters that use aniue are often from more traditional or anachronistic families.

The word aniki 兄貴 is a more casual and respectful term. It's sometimes used to an older brother figure instead of one's actual brother. In particular, within gangs, aniki mat refer to one's senpai 先輩.

The word anigo 兄御 is a similar in that it refers to one's older brother with respect, but isn't used as frequently.

The word anija 兄者, from anijahito 兄者人, also refer to an older brother, but this is a very old word that isn't used anymore.